Policies

An academic appeal is an allegation by a student that an employee of the college has violated federal or state laws and regulations, college or department policies, accreditation standards, or the policies stated in the course syllabus related to an assigned grade, notation, or other academic decision. A student may seek campus-level review of the assignment of a grade, notation, or other decision affecting academic status in accordance with the procedure outlined in the college catalog. 

The campus-level appeal will take place at the campus where the grade, notation, or course being appealed took place. The student shall be afforded the right to present a statement of appeal and relevant information in support of it. The faculty member shall also be afforded the right to present a statement of relevant information regarding the appeal. It is the student's responsibility to show that the decision in question is arbitrary, i.e., without a reasonable basis, or was made for improper reasons in violation of this policy. The student is entitled to a written response upon completion of the appeal procedure outlined in the college catalog. 

The procedural time framesprovided may be modified by the Campus CEO for good cause shown.

The decision of the Campus CEO, or designee shall be final.

Semester Honors

1. Full-time students who are matriculated in a certificate or degree program and who successfully complete 12 or more credits of work in a semester with a grade point average of 3.4 or higher shall be recognized by having their names placed on a Dean’s List.
   
   
2. Part-time students who are matriculated in a certificate or degree program are also eligible for such recognition when they have completed 12 or more credits of work with a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or higher. They may be subsequently recognized at the completion of an additional 12 or more credits of work with a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or higher, and at successive intervals of 12 credits.
   
   
3. A course Incomplete shall make the student ineligible for Dean’s List recognition that semester. Upon completion of the coursework for which the Incomplete was granted, the student may petition the Dean of Faculty and Students within 30 days of the posting of the final grade, to have the Dean’s List retroactively recognized on the student’s official transcript.
   
   Students who withdraw from courses may be eligible for the Dean’s List. However, if the withdrawal causes them to fall below 12 credits for that term, they will not be eligible for the Dean’s List for that term unless they have otherwise reached a cumulative 12-credit interval (please see #2 above).
   
   
4. Students who are in academic probationary status, or have a Dean’s hold due to academic integrity issues, are not eligible for Dean’s List recognition, even if their semester grade point average might otherwise make them eligible. 

Graduation Honors

Students with exemplary academic performance shall be recognized at graduation with the following designations, either in Latin or English, as the college may choose:

• Summa Cum Laude/Highest Honors for students with a 3.9 – 4.0 grade point average
• Magna Cum Laude/High Honors for students with a 3.7 – 3.89 grade point average
• Cum Laude/Honors for students with a 3.4 – 3.69 grade point average

Students with an Incomplete may become eligible retroactively for graduation honors upon completion of the course requirements, and recognition shall appear on the transcript, provided that the student has earned the required grade point average. Grades received for developmental courses may be used to determine eligibility for semester honors. However, they cannot be used to determine eligibility for graduation honors.

Academic Fresh Start is a one-time opportunity for eligible students who have not attended college for a period of one or more years (two standard semesters) to have prior grades earned at Connecticut State Community College, or one of the legacy Connecticut community colleges, excluded from their academic Grade Point Average (GPA) after re-admission to Connecticut State Community College.

All grades previously earned will remain on the student's transcript. The semesters for which Academic Fresh Start is invoked will include a transcript symbol indicating that the policy is in effect. The refreshed GPA will reflect academic amnesty, but the original GPA will be maintained for the purpose of determining Financial Aid eligibility. If the Academic Fresh Start option is approved, the student will retain credit for courses with a grade of "C-minus" or above, including "P" (Pass), “CR” (Credit), and “CRT” (Credit Transfer).    

After re-enrollment, a student must complete 9 credits with a GPA of 2.0 in order to have the Academic Fresh Start applied to their record. 

A student must complete a minimum of 15 credits after returning to college under the Academic Fresh Start option to be eligible for a degree and for graduation honors or twenty-five percent of the credits necessary for the completion of a certificate to be eligible for that certificate and graduation honors.

An Academic Fresh Start does not guarantee admission or re-admission to a selective admission program. 

The Academic Fresh Start option does not apply to any completed degree or certificate. 

The Connecticut State Community College administration is responsible for developing its own procedures for managing Academic Fresh Start, including where and how the student applies, what forms are used, who approves the application, and how the student's progress is monitored.   

For any student who CT State has determined meets all requirements of a legacy Connecticut community college degree or certificate program, but does not meet the minimum CT State credit threshold required for the equivalent aligned degree or certificate, the following criteria must be met prior to the awarding of the credential:  

• The student was previously enrolled in an equivalent degree or certificate program at a legacy Connecticut community college  
• The student meets the minimum number of credits required for graduation from the legacy degree or certificate program  
• The student has met the required outcomes of the legacy degree or certificate program  
• The minimum number of credits completed for a degree equals 60 credits or more  
• The student has met all other CT State Community College requirements for graduation  

Selective admissions or specialized accreditation programs will be required to follow accrediting agency standards regarding credit variances. 

This policy will be sunset at the end of the Spring 2030 semester.